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Let’s all face it, preparing for the TOEFL iBT test is no mean feat. You may notice a lot of students going through the turmoil of shuffling between arranging for the documents, attending interviews, sorting out the offer letters, and attending coaching classes for the TOEFL iBT preparation. While you may refer to a comprehensive guide on TOEFL to understand all about the test, you could always use some smart tips and hacks to prepare for the TOEFL iBT practice test. On that note, we have listed a few tips for each section of the test systematically so that you can ace it stress-free!
Kindly note that keeping the concern of students in mind as regards the pandemic, there is a special TOEFL iBT Home Edition test for students.
A Brief Introduction To The TOEFL iBT Test Home Edition
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL PBT (Paper-based test) and TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) have both always been accessible. However, owing to the pandemic, ETS has created the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition, which allows you to take the exam from the comfort of your own home.
TOEFL Special Home Edition is a safe and easy choice for students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT test at a testing location because of worries about the spread of the new CoronaVirus.
A few key points about the Home Edition TOEFL iBT Test –
- TOEFL Home Edition is offered in locations where TOEFL iBT was previously available.
- The Special Home Edition TOEFL test is nearly identical in content, format, and on-screen experience to the TOEFL test administered at testing centres.
- All you need is a working PC or laptop and a reasonably consistent internet connection.
- Human Proctors, on the other hand, will keep an eye on you during the exam via ProctorU®.
- TOEFL Home Edition is accessible 24 hours a day, four days a week, with appointments beginning as soon as 24 hours following registration.
Overall, the TOEFL Home Edition is the same as the TOEFL test taken at a testing facility. Human Proctors and the usage of your equipment may be the sole distinguishing features.
TOEFL iBT Test – Section-Wise Preparation Tips
When it comes to difficult tests like the TOEFL, having a strong approach might help you a lot. These tests need smart practice. It is not necessary to know every question on the exam. It’s about deciding what’s important to know while studying and what’s important to invest your effort into when taking the test. Let’s take a look at these section-by-section tips for exam success:
Reading Section
- Dedicate some time of your day on a daily basis towards improving your vocabulary. You can learn new English words with meanings via rigorous reading. Focus your reading on subjects like business, arts, sciences, and social sciences. Try getting a strong hold on suffixes, prefixes, roots of words, and more.
- Try to come up with a concrete headline and summary when reading excerpts from any academic work.
- While reading, set a timer. Keep track of your progress and concentrate on boosting your pace.
- To save time, try skimming through a chapter in a timed manner to acquire a basic impression of the primary topic.
- Pick up unfamiliar terms from the passage and concentrate on their meanings in context while practising. Don’t forget to confirm them later
- Make it a practise to create tables, lists, and diagrams to create summaries of the passage.
Listening Section
- Pay attention to a broad variety of topics. Create a list of old and new subjects.
- Since the difficulty level varies, you must gradually go from easy to moderate to advance.
- Begin by listening with subtitles and eventually progress to listening without them.
- Make an effort to distinguish between facts and views.
- Make a note of any new terms you come across.
- To have a better understanding of the lecture’s objective, evaluate it. Ideas must be heard, connected, and synthesised.
- While practising, stop recording in between and summarise what you’ve learned so far.
Speaking Section
- Establishing a strong command of your language is the key to communicating effectively.
- Improve your punctuation, idioms, and tone. The articulation of the words combined with the tone will be well-observed when you speak.
- Focus not only on the ‘what’ part in your speaking but also on how well you will be able to deliver your speech.
- Take into account free speech. Prepare for some non-academic subjects and try discussing them.
Writing Section
Since this is a TOEFL iBT test and not a paper-based test, you will have to put your typing skills into practice along with honing your writing abilities.
- Begin by practising typing on a QWERTY keyboard.
- While reading paragraphs and essays, keep an eye out for synonyms.
- Make it a habit to jot down your thoughts when you listen to lectures or seminars online.
- Play with the conversion of nouns to verbs.
- Understand how to paraphrase. Begin with sentences and work your way up to paragraphs.
- Read your textbooks before attempting to answer the questions.
To conclude, practising is integral for acing your TOEFL iBT test. You may have a great command of the language but appearing for the test and putting your knowledge into practice is the real challenge. These revision techniques for students are not just to strengthen your language skills, but also help you understand how to manage your time well, and plan and strategize accordingly.
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